Divine Mercy Sunday

Homily Video

Divine Mercy Sunday Homily Transcript

The pastor was in the hospital and for a while looked very, very serious. The president of the parish council came to cheer the priest up, and “Father,” he said very confidently, “we don’t want you to worry about a thing. Last night at our parish council meeting, we voted eight to seven to pray for your recovery.” The resurrection of Jesus means we are recovered; we discover new life. Resurrection shouts “life.” New life so abundant we call it eternal. Arthur Johnson, a simple Oregon lumberjack, summed up his philosophy of life this way, “I want to live simply in order that others can simply live.”

“I want to live simply in order that others can simply live.” But at times we waver, we doubt, we struggle, we ask why, we seek proof. What gets us out of bed in the morning? What keeps us on the journey? Where is the despair, the discouragement in our life? What is sometimes pulling me down, creating darkness and confusion? Loneliness, anxiety, and doubt can sometimes be lifetime companions. But like Thomas in today’s gospel, we are not perfect. We doubt, we struggle, we seek answers, we ask questions. We’re a mixture of doubt and fear, pessimism and trust, belief and unbelief. It’s a very difficult place to be, because most of us want to seek certainty. Even Thomas, “Doubting Thomas,” he doubted.

But if we have love in our life despite our doubts, if we’re willing to serve others, we can make up for a great many of things. If we do not have love in our life, no matter what else we have, it’ll never be enough. Baseball has now started, and Jackie Robinson, the first black major league baseball player, has this carved on his gravestone, “A person’s life is not important except in the impact it has on others.” But there’s reason to hope for joy and love. For the Lord lives, the Lord is with us every moment of our life. As we gather on this Divine Mercy Sunday, we have experienced the risen Lord Jesus. He is with us and in us. And by the way, when you go to bed this evening, turn all your worries and doubts over to God, because he’ll be up all night anyway.

Readings

First Reading:

Apostles 5:12-16

Second Reading:

Revelation 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19

Gospel:

John 20:19-31

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